#tintfr

You were woken by sunlight filtering through the window, shining into your eyes. Squinting, you rolled over to peer at the clock on your bedside table. It read 8:52 am. It seemed like such a normal morning, you thought last night must have just been a bad dream. You sat up and stretched before walking to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. On the way, you saw the hole in the wall Kurt made, confirming that everything that happened was in fact real. The memory made you shudder slightly.

I don’t know how I’m going to explain that to my landlord, you thought. As you rounded the corner into the living room, you nearly choked on the water.

“Oh, good morning princess.” There was Tom, lounging shirtless on your couch, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. 

“Good morning,” you manage. This wasn’t the first time you’d noticed how muscular he is, but it was definitely the first time you fully appreciated it. It took a lot of effort to tear your eyes away from his abs, but luckily he didn’t seem to notice.

Tom stood up and stretched. “I was planning on running some errands this morning. Care to join?”

His invitation surprised you, but you were happy about the offer. “Why would you want me to come along?”

“Well, love, I’m getting paid to watch you. It’d be a bit irresponsible if I just left you alone to go shopping now wouldn’t it?” He gave you a cheeky grin and reached for his shirt. As he pulled it down over his head he continued. “I know you have your Saturday morning routine, so I was thinking we could do that then head downtown, if that’s alright with you.”

It was sweet that he wanted to respect your routine. You smiled and agreed to go with him, then headed to your room to get dressed. In the mirror you could see purple bruises had formed on your neck. Unfortunately, you had plenty of experience covering up bruises and it didn’t take long before they were barely visible under your makeup.

---

The crisp air filled your lungs as you and Tom made your way to the cafe. Your thoughts drifted back to Kurt, and those men who attacked you, wondering if it was in any way connected. And what was Tom planning to do with them all?

These thoughts were pushed to the back of your mind as he pushed open the door to the cafe and walked in. Haley looked up and did an incredibly bad job hiding her surprise at you and Tom showing up together. She finally composed herself and said, “G-good morning! Will it be the usual for you both?”

“Yes, please,” he answered, fishing for his wallet. He pulled out some cash and handed it to your friend. “I’m paying for hers as well.” Haley shot you a look before accepting the bills. Tom walked away from the counter, pretending to take an intense interest in a bulletin board hanging on the wall.

Haley leaned over to you and whispered, “Is there something you need to tell me?”

You shrugged and tried to act casual. “We kept seeing each other around so he decided to introduce himself.”

“You two showed up at 9 am to a coffee shop within walking distance of your apartment. There’s only one explanation for that.” She gave you a knowing smile, causing you to roll your eyes.

“We didn’t sleep together. We’re just hanging out.”

Haley narrowed her eyes at you and handed you your order. “Well if you don’t go for him, I will.” Taking the items, you glare at her playfully before turning to walk out the door.

Once safely outside, Tom took his coffee from you. The entire walk to the park you felt a bit awkward, unsure of how much of your conversation he heard. It wasn’t until you were both seated on the park bench and eating your breakfast that he broke the silence.

“So what was all that about?” he asked.

You shrugged nonchalantly and took a sip of your drink. “She was just surprised we know each other, that’s all.”

“Well what did you say?” He seemed anxious about the situation, but he did a good job of hiding it. 

Really, the only reason you picked up on it was because your dad taught you at a young age how to read people. “I just told her we’d been seeing each other around and you decided to introduce yourself.” 

“So you didn’t tell her who I am?”

You lowered your voice before asking, “What am I supposed to say? ‘This is Tom, my bodyguard. I don’t know who hired him but he’s saved me twice in the past two months. Thanks for the coffee!’” 

Tom’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “Fair enough.” 

You both finished your food in silence, then stood up. “Ready to go?” he asked.

---

You weren’t quite sure where he was going, but the weather was beautiful so you didn’t mind the walk. Just within 15 minutes you’d seen three dogs and got to pet one of them. Tom smiled watching you coo over the pups. That smile made your heart melt, just a little. 

A voice in the back of your head warned against developing feelings for him. He was still a practical stranger after all. But it felt nice to spend time with someone,even if he was getting paid to do so.

“It should be just up here.” Tom’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. He was pointing at a small hardware store you’d never been into despite passing it everyday on the way to work.

“What do you need here?” you asked.

“Supplies,” he responded.

“Supplies for what?” Much to your chagrin, he didn’t answer. Instead he held the door to the shop open for you. 

Once inside, you headed for the paint section, ignoring the feeling of Tom’s eyes on your back. A few weeks ago, you bought an old end table from a garage sale and had been meaning to paint it, but didn’t actually have any paint. Trying to keep your thoughts from wandering to your bodyguard, you poured all of your focus into choosing just the right shade to match your other furniture.

It was down to two when Tom appeared at your side, basket in hand. “I like the gray,” he offered. You put the gray paint back and walked up to the register, smug smile growing. He set his stuff on the counter next to yours and reached for his wallet. While the cashier rung everything up, your thoughts once again drifted to Kurt. He shouldn’t have been able to find you. You were so careful.

Tom didn’t make any attempt at conversation on the way back to your apartment. He seemed just as preoccupied as you were. It surprised you a bit when you reached your block. The walk went by much quicker than you expected. A leaf blower was droning somewhere nearby as you ascended the stairs to your unit.

As the lock clicked, you heard a bell jingle as your cat came running into the living room. “Hey there sweetie, I missed you,” you greeted, picking it up and kissing its forehead. Tom set the bags down and made sure to lock the door behind him. He started to unpack, allowing you to see what it was he purchased now that you’re paying attention. “Tom!”

Your voice startled him a bit. “What? Is something wrong?” He was glancing around the room, checking for signs of danger.

“You aren’t fixing my wall.” The brown-haired boy relaxed and smiled. Laying on the table in front of him was everything necessary to patch the hole in the wall.

“It’s really no problem, princess. I’d like to do it.”

“That’s something I should get my landlord to fix, not my bodyguard,” you protested.

He turned to face you, trying to be casual but still seeming serious. “If I had been here earlier, there wouldn’t be a hole in your wall or a bruise on your neck. Besides, do you really want to explain to him what happened?”

You couldn’t really argue with that, you tried to have as little contact with your landlord as possible. So instead, you decided to start making lunch while Tom worked.

It seemed weirdly natural having him there, almost comfortable. You were surprised that you actually did feel safe with him, something you hadn’t felt in a very long time. Who knows how long it would actually last, so you told yourself you’d enjoy it as much as you could. 

Tom finished patching the wall at about the same time you finished cooking lunch. He washed his hands before sitting down at the table. Some spackle was smeared on his brow, and you had to restrain yourself from reaching up and wiping it away. Your eyes traced down his face, passed his cheekbones and along his chiseled jawline to his lips. There was no denying he was absolutely gorgeous. Your thoughts started to wander when his mouth curled into a smug grin. A little too late you realized he had caught you staring. Heat rose in your cheeks and you tried to conceal your embarrassment by shoving food in your mouth.

The rest of the meal went by in silence, you cursing yourself and Tom enjoying watching you squirm. When you had both finished eating, he took the plates to the sink and rinsed them off. A text message tone vibrated the table and you picked up your cell to check if the message was meant for you. Nothing.

“Must be you,” you called over to Tom. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and grabbed his phone, brow furrowing as he read. 

“Huh,” he muttered, typing a response then sitting back down at the table. A feeling of unease blossomed in your chest as he stared you down intently. “(Y/n), you wouldn’t happen to know someone by the name of Nic Martin, would you?” Your heart stopped.

---

Hey everyone, sorry I’ve been gone so long! It’s been crazy busy but I’m back to finish TINTFR! Please let me know what you think and if you want to be tagged! Thanks for sticking with me <3

@deleteidentity, @trashqueenbitch, @wayfaring—-stranger, @jollyholland, @dee-rosemary, @superwholock02, @for-my-mind, @marvelmadwoman, @eveanne-03, @khuangpu13, @notimeforthemessenger, @meyrapp, @fuckthatfeeling, @tom-hollands-eyelash, @ohitsmydignityinflames, @yuckybucky, @jordyxlynn, @smexylemony, @bitchy-ginger-1, @inlovewithmob-tom, @inumorph, @brookesamford, @misysugarbee, @hbmoore1986

You look around the room, trying to remember where you left your phone. If you could just get to it you could call the cops, or even Tom. When it hit you, your heart sank. It was in your bag, which you had tossed in your bedroom before opening the door. There was no way to get to it without him noticing.

Your next instinct was to find a weapon. As much as you hated to admit it, you can’t match Kurt’s strength; he can easily overpower you. If you could make it to the kitchen you could get a knife- but then so could he.

If I could just make it to my bedroom…

“Did you miss me?” His voice snapped you out of your thoughts. There was a disturbing smile on his face and he started making his way towards you. Instinctively, you started backing away.

“What are you doing here?” You tried your best to stay calm. Kurt always had a short fuse- the smallest thing could set him off.

“I came to see you, (y/n). I don't like how we left things.”

Where is Tom?

“I don't either.”

The smile dropped from his face, anger replacing it. “That’s funny,” he growled, moving in faster. “I seem to remember you were the one who left. In the middle of the night.”

“Kurt I-”

“Don’t fucking interrupt me.” In one motion he pushed you against the wall and pinned your arms, making it almost impossible to move. “You just left me, without so much as a word. Hell, you left the country altogether! Do you know how long it's taken me to track you down?”

At this point you were shaking, fighting back the tears threatening to fall. It was taking everything you had not to show any weakness.

Please, someone… Help me…

You try to appease him, calm him down, anything. “I’m sor-”

His fist cracked through the drywall next to your head. “I told you not to interrupt me, bitch,” he growled in your ear. You felt his breath on your face and squeezed your eyes shut, just wishing this was over.

But before anything else could happen, you heard the faint sound of a lock clicking, then the front door opened.

“Darling?” Both you and Kurt looked to see who had just walked in. There was Tom, standing in the open doorway looking concerned. “Who is this?”

Kurt released his grip on you and took a few steps toward Tom. “Who the fuck are you?”

You could see Tom assessing the situation- you frozen in terror against the wall, the hole next to you, the anger flaring in Kurt’s eyes. He returned your gaze and gave an imperceptible nod before looking back at Kurt. “I’m (y/n)’s boyfriend. I live here.”

Your ex turned back to you. “This guy?” he gestured to Tom. “You’re dating this prick?”

Behind Kurt you could see Tom, who gave you a soft smile, silently reassuring that everything would be ok. Relief started to blossom from your chest. His presence was actually making you feel safe, giving you the courage to say, “Yeah I am. We’ve been together for a while now.”

“How long,” he asked through gritted teeth. The fury in his eyes was enough to freeze you again.

Tom came to your rescue, something he seemed to be doing a lot of. “A couple of years now.” He had been hoping to take the attention off of you, but did just the opposite. Kurt started towards you again, looking murderous.

“That’s why you left isn’t it? You little slut, you left me for this asshole.” His hand closed around your neck, squeezing the breath out of your body.

Everything started to blur as panic set it. You could faintly hear Tom shouting, but it sounded like he was underwater. Blood pounded in your ears as you clawed at Kurt’s hand. You felt useless- he had always made you feel useless.

Suddenly his hand released your throat. You fell to the ground, gasping to fill your lungs with air. Breathing hurt, and it caused you to cough until your throat was raw. Finally, your vision cleared. Tom and Kurt were struggling with each other, grunting as they fought for dominance. For a moment, you were mesmerized by Tom’s movements. True, you’d seen him fight before, but that was pretty one-sided. In this case, both men were evenly matched, giving you a chance to see how well-trained he was. Every muscle was straining against his t-shirt, and his curls had fallen over his brow.

You could’ve watched Tom all day, sweat glistening on his skin, but Kurt was starting to get the better of him. Fear spurred you into action- but not fear for yourself. Oddly enough, you realized you were worried about Tom. You got to your feet and moved into the bedroom. Leaning against the wall next to the bed was a wooden baseball bat, which you grabbed before running to the brawling men.

Kurt had Tom on the ground, trying to pin him. You planted your feet and hauled the bat over your shoulder before bringing it down against the side of his head. The wood met his temple with a sharp crack!

His body immediately fell limp, and Tom pushed himself up off the ground. “(Y/n).” There was something odd about the way he said your name. Breathless, a little relieved, and another thing you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Longing, maybe? He moved to you and placed a hand on your arm. “Are you alright?” His voice was soft and filled with worry, matching his eyes. A warm feeling spread through your chest.

“I’m fine.” You tried to smile, but the weight of what happened was getting to you, hot tears pricking at your eyes. He moved closer.

“We should call the police.” 

Your heart raced.

“No! Tom, please, don’t,” you begged. Calling the police would just make everything worse. There would be questions that you just cannot answer. There would be consequences.

Even though he didn’t understand your reluctance, he promised there would be no cops. “I’m going to call some of my men to get him. Is that ok with you?”

“What are you going to do to him?”

He paused for a second, searching your face. “Is there something you want us to do?”

The question caught you off guard; you couldn’t figure out why he asked that. Slowly, you shook your head. “I don’t care what happens to him. I just never want to see him again.”

Tom nodded as he took out his phone and typed out a quick message before returning it to his pocket. He gave you a cautious look, then asked, “(Y/n), who is he?” It came out barely above a whisper, as if he was reluctant to bring it up.

You knew you’d have to explain, but the longer you stood there, the more everything got to you. He shouldn’t have been able to find you. He shouldn’t have been here. You were so careful. A nauseous feeling started to wash over you, threatening to empty your stomach.

You opened your mouth the respond, to attempt to fill in the blanks without revealing everything. But the words wouldn’t come. As much as you tried, your voice wouldn’t cooperate. It was starting to frustrate you, made all the worse by the sympathetic look on Tom’s face. You wanted so badly to tell him- to tell him everything and have him shield you from reality. But you couldn’t

The words wouldn’t come, so tears took their place. First just a few, then it was like a dam burst. It was like the past few years of putting on a strong front finally caught up with you. You sobbed.

You sobbed because of everything that happened with Kurt. You sobbed because of the men who attacked you a few weeks ago. You sobbed because you didn’t have anyone close to you, anyone you could trust. You sobbed because you missed your parents.

Without hesitation, Tom pulled you into a tight hug. Your cheek was pressed against his chest, strong arms wrapped around you as if he was worried you’d fall apart if he didn’t keep you together himself. It was a weird sensation for both of you. You’d barely talked, and you didn’t know anything about the other. But in that moment, there was something between you two. Something palpable. Almost like you understood each other better than anyone else in the world could hope to. What started out as a hug meant to comfort turned into something else completely.  You were both scared and desperate, holding onto each other like letting go meant losing yourselves completely. It was a struggle for survival neither of you knew you were fighting. The only thing keeping you grounded was each other, the body pressed against yours.

It was impossible to tell how long you stood like that. It felt like an eternity when you heard a knock on the door that snapped you both back to reality. Tom stepped back from you, allowing you to see where your tears had dampened his shirt. He moved toward to door, looking through the peephole before opening it. A handsome man, about the same age as Tom walked in and they exchanged a few hushed words. A couple more men filed in after and got to work removing Kurt’s still form from the apartment.

Tom returned to your side and put an arm around you. “(Y/n), this is my second-in-command, Harrison.” The blond nodded at you with a tight smile.

He leaned closer to Tom and said in a hushed voice, “I thought you weren’t supposed to make contact.” Tom gave him a look you couldn’t quite see, but it shut him up.

The men start to leave with Kurt, and Harrison gave you another nod before exiting. Your bodyguard looked down at you. “Do you want me to leave too?”

You knew you should say yes. He was just doing his job- a job that you didn’t really need him to do. Or, maybe you did? You were more than capable of taking care of yourself, but there was no denying that he had saved you today. Who knows what would have happened if he wasn’t there.

“I don’t want to be alone right now.” Tom nodded and gave you a warm smile. He led you over to the couch where you sat in silence. He kept his arm around you, gently rubbing it as you tried to steady your breathing and stop sniffling.

Finally, you broke the silence. “He’s my ex. We met in Spain when I was travelling a few years back. I had never had any serious relationships before. He was handsome and charming, and I was young and stupid. I didn’t realize how toxic it was until I was too deep. It took me months to get the courage to leave him, and I knew when I did I couldn’t take any chances. I left the country and went home to my mom. She kept me safe and took care of me for a while. When I finally felt better, she helped me find a place to be on my own.”

You trailed off and didn’t say anything else. It was honestly a relief to tell someone about it, even if you couldn’t tell him everything.

Tom nodded and stroked your hair. “Thank you for telling me.” You felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. He felt so warm- so safe- you felt yourself turn and nuzzle into his chest.

His other arm settled around your waist as you said, “Thanks for saving me, Tom.” It was muffled by his shirt, but he smiled to himself.

“It’s my job to protect you, darling.” The smell of his cologne and the rhythm of his heart lulled you to sleep.

When you opened your eyes, it was dark outside. You were laying down on the couch, with a blanket pulled up over your shoulders. Tom wasn’t there though, and for a second you were worried he had left. “Tom?”

To your relief, you heard footsteps. A moment later he emerged from the kitchen holding a dish towel. He saw the sleepy look on your face and couldn’t help but smile. “Don’t worry sleeping beauty, I’m still here.”

“What are you doing?”

He looked over his shoulder as a timer buzzed. “I thought I would make dinner. I hope you don’t mind, I just used what you had.”

You rubbed your face, trying to scrub the fatigue away while processing what he had said. “You made dinner?” It just hit you how hungry you actually were. Tom walked back into the kitchen, then emerged a few minutes later with two plates stacked with food. The smell wafted up, causing your stomach to growl so loudly he could hear it. You felt heat rise in your cheeks, but Tom chuckled and handed you a fork.

Immediately, you started shoveling bite after bite in your mouth, only stopping to compliment his cooking. Both of you ate in silence, even going back for seconds. It wasn't until you were both full that you spoke again.

“Hey Tom?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m…” You looked at your hands sheepishly. “I just wanted to apologize for my behavior today. Honestly, I’m pretty embarrassed that you saw me like that.” His eyes locked onto yours, a serious look etched into his face.

“There’s no reason to apologize.” He took your hand in his. “That guy was dangerous. Your reaction was perfectly reasonable.” You nod.

There was a pause, and you became very aware of the fact that he was still holding your hand.

“What took you so long to get here?”

Tom dropped his gaze. “It isn’t a good enough reason.” He shook his head. “He shouldn’t have been able to get in. I’m so sorry. It's my job to protect you.”

You could tell how upset and ashamed he was, which made you all the more curious. “Please tell me?” you asked softly. He met your eyes again.

“The waitress at George’s, she uh… She thought I had a crush on her.” He saw the look of confusion on your face and sighed. “I’ve been sitting there everyday to watch your office building, and I’m always in her section.” Tom shifted uncomfortably. “She stopped me on my way out to ask me on a date. I tried to decline but she wouldn’t let it go. I… I didn’t want to be rude…”

You let his story sink in. Honestly, it wasn’t surprising- Tom’s hot. The thought of him dating someone stirred something inside you, but you pushed the feeling down.

Jokingly, you said, “Yeah, that isn’t a very good reason.” It earned a small chuckle from Tom, but you quickly settled back into silence. Even though you weren’t sure you wanted to know, you asked, “What did you say?”

It caught him off guard. “What?” he grunted.

“When she asked you out?”

“I-I told her I was already seeing someone.”

“Oh.” Your heart sunk. “Are you?”

You could’ve sworn he started to blush. “I’m pretty preoccupied protecting you, princess.”

“Ah.” Did he want to date someone? You never really thought about his social life, if he even had one. He pretty much spent all his time watching you.

The silence was starting to feel awkward, and you had to stop thinking about how strong his fingers felt around yours. “Tom?”

“Hmm?”

“How did you get in? He locked the door.”

“I got copies of all of your keys when I first got this job.”

“That’s pretty disconcerting.”

He shrugged. “In case of emergency.”

You yawned and checked the time. It was just after 8 pm, but drowsiness was overtaking your senses. Sleep sounded nice, but the thought of being in your apartment alone tonight left you apprehensive. “Would you mind staying here tonight? I just still a little shaken up.”

Tom thought your bashfulness was adorable and couldn’t help but smile. It made your heart flutter. “Of course I will.”

-----

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I can’t just leave him like this, you decided. Pushing yourself up from the dark wooden table, you made your way down the hall to the bathroom. The first aid kit was in the cabinet under your sink, always stocked with everything you could need in an emergency. It was much larger and heavier than most, but your mom had taught you from a very early age that it's better to be over prepared than underprepared. You hefted the box out and returned to the kitchen table to set it down. Tom raised an eyebrow and watched as you moved to the freezer and took out an ice pack.

“For your face,” you said, holding it out to him. “Sorry for punching you.”

He chuckled and accepted the ice. “Don’t worry about it, love. It was actually quite impressive.” You felt yourself blush a bit and turned towards the first aid kit to hide it. “Where did you learn to fight like that?” It was a seemingly innocent question, but there was something odd in his voice. Suspicion? Wariness maybe? You pretended not to notice while you grabbed a few alcohol wipes.

“I took some self defense classes when I first got to college. I didn’t want to worry about walking around by myself.” You shrugged and glanced at Tom, who seemed to buy your story; his shoulders relaxed just a bit. He took another drink then you took his hand, surprised at how warm and soft it felt in yours. For just a moment, you forgot how to breathe, but quickly composed yourself and began to clean the blood from his knuckles. “So, why don’t you tell me who you really are.”

“I already told you,” he said with a cheeky grin. “I’m Tom, your bodyguard.”

You shook your head. “No you aren’t, I do not need bodyguard, and I think I would’ve remembered hiring one.”

“Well, someone must think you need protecting because here I am. But don’t worry, I’m the best there is.” A smug look was situated on his face. Normally, it would’ve pissed you off, but it was almost charming on him.

“Do you know who hired you?”

“Of course I do.”

“Who was it?”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that, princess.” Okay, now that smugness was starting to annoy you. You grabbed a fresh alcohol wipe and pressed it down hard on the open wounds of his knuckles, causing Tom to hiss and swear under his breath.

“Oops, sorry. That’s my bad.” Although you acted apologetic, your eyes made sure he knew it was far from an accident.

“I really can’t tell you (y/n). They paid me extra to make sure you wouldn’t find out. I wasn’t even supposed to make contact with you, I sw-”

“Was it my mother?” you cut him off, hoping that catching him off guard might reveal something. “Was it my father?” Tom remained completely still, brown eyes staring straight into yours. He gave nothing away, not the slightest hint as to what was happening. The man was absolutely unreadable.

You put the wipes aside and fished around for antibiotic gel. “Can you at least tell me why they think I need to be protected?”

He shifted in his seat, apparently made uncomfortable by the question. “That’s actually why I decided to approach you. They refused to tell me that. I’ve been watching you for about a month now and-”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen you around everywhere.” Surprise took over his face for a second before it settled in to something else. He looked impressed by you once again.

“You must be pretty observant. I've followed clients for months without them noticing.”

You smirked as you spread the gel on his cuts. “Well, they must have been idiots then.”

A laugh escaped his lips. “Maybe so.” He paused, lost in thought. You decided to leave him be and reached for bandages instead. Finally, he continued, “As I was saying, I’ve been following you for this long and haven’t noticed anyone suspicious- except for tonight of course. Let’s start with the obvious. Do you have any idea who those men were or why they were after you?”

“No idea,” you said shaking your head.

“That's fine, I have men working on it-”

“What do you mean?”

“Its flattering you think I’m skilled enough to be the best by myself, but the truth is I have a whole team helping me.” His phone buzzed on the table, momentarily distracting him from the conversation. He picked it up and tapped out a message, then placed it back on the table. “In fact, as we speak they’re preparing to interrogate your attackers.”

This piqued your interest and caused you to stop what you were doing. Tom noticed this, but just assumed that you wanted to know what they were going to say.

“Don't worry, darling,” he cooed. “As soon as I know who they’re working for and what they want, I’ll take care of it.” You wanted to ask how he planned on doing that, but he pushed on with his questioning. “Do you have any enemies? Anyone who would want to harm you?”

“No I don’t think so. Some exes, but I doubt they’d go to the trouble of hiring guys to attack me.”

“Is there anyone who would want to get back at a member of your family, then?”

You sighed and shook your head. “If there is, I wouldn’t know.”

Tom nodded and paused to watch you finish wrapping his hand. When you started to pack the first aid kit up, he asked, “What about yours?” You just glanced at him, confused. “Your knuckles, they’re bruised too.”

“Oh. I’ll just grab some ice.” He watched as you stood and took the box back down the hall to its spot in the bathroom. On your way back you stopped at the freezer for an ice pack, if for no reason other than to appease Tom.

You sat back down and he started to speak again. “After tonight’s incident, I’m going to increase security around you. Don’t sneak off anywhere, and stay vigilant. If you see anything you think is suspicious, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”

“And how am I supposed to let you know? Just shout and hope you hear it?”

He picked his phone off the table and starting typing. “Of course, not dear. I’m going to give you my number so you can text or call me anytime.” When he finished talking, you felt a buzz in your pocket, and pulled your cell out to read the message.

Hey this is Tom. Let me know if you need anything at all ;)

You opened your mouth to say something, but he cut you off. “It’s getting pretty late. I’m going to head out, you should get some rest. Goodnight (y/n).” Then he was gone.

It took you a second to process everything that had just happened- everything that happened all night, actually. In the end, you decided that you were too tired for this and would just deal with it tomorrow. There was a strange feeling that hung in your chest as you locked the front door and got ready for bed.

In the morning, your alarm went off much earlier than you would’ve liked. The tangle of sheets fought against you as you turned over to hit snooze. Sunlight streamed through the open blinds, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. It made the pounding in your head worse. While you knew you should just get up, the warmth and comfort of the bed clouded your mind. After ten minutes of struggling, your alarm went off again. It’s now or never, you thought. It took all the strength you could muster to get out of bed and get to the bathroom. You took a few painkillers, got ready for the day, and grabbed your sunglasses.

“Goodbye, kitty,” you said, giving your cat one last kiss before you left.

Outside, it seemed as if the sun was shining especially bright just to spite you. As you walked towards the cafe, you put the sunglasses on. The bell rang sharply as the door opened, prompting a groan from you.

“Morning, (y/n)!” Haley greeted from behind the counter. “Wow, you look like shit.” You bent over and rested your head next to the cash register. She smoothed your hair while quietly asking, “Pretty hungover, huh?”

“Mhmm.”

“Do you want coffee and a really greasy breakfast sandwich?”

“Yes please.”

“How about you sit down and I’ll bring it out in a second.” You nodded and slid into a chair nearby, immediately putting your head down on the cool surface of the table. Haley was idly chattering while she made your order, telling you about some dates she had and her cat. Every so often you would grunt a response. Eventually she placed a cup and paper bag next to your head, saying “Here you go, sweetie. Free of charge. Feel better.”

“Thanks, hon.” You looked up and gave your friend a pitiful smile. She patted your head lightly before going back to work. As you grabbed your food, movement in the corner of the cafe caught your attention. Reading a book and looking as perfect as ever was Tom. His eyes met yours, the chocolatey brown momentarily entrancing you. He took a drink, then winked, jarring you out of the daze. Flustered, but not sure why, you gathered the food and walked out.

The park was too bright and too loud, but you were determined to enjoy it. There was one bench in the shade, which you gratefully sat down on. Immediately, you started scarfing down your sandwich. Damn, Haley makes a good hangover breakfast. Ignoring the heat on your tongue, you guzzled the coffee in between bites, only pausing to wipe crumbs from your mouth. The only thing in your world was this food, and it dawned on you that you hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday.

Once you finally finished, you wiped your mouth and looked around the park, feeling a bit refreshed. A group of small children played in the grass as their parents chatted. An old couple sat by the fountain and fed the birds. Tom was there too, still reading and sipping on coffee. You thought back to what he said last night, about his men interrogating your attackers. I wonder if they learned anything, you wondered idly. Surely he would tell you if they had. Wouldn’t he? Maybe it was the hangover, but you had the incredible urge to walk over and ask him. Luckily, there was a small voice of reason holding you back. It was probably a bad idea to approach him in public, and definitely a bad idea to openly talk about the interrogation. Besides, you still haven’t decided if you were going to trust him. The park was starting to get too loud, so you threw the trash away and headed back to the apartment for a nap.

The next week passed uneventfully. Kara and Jackie checked on you Monday at work, relieved that nothing bad had happened. You still saw Tom everywhere you went, but at a certain point you stopped noticing. He became an almost comforting presence, a constant in your life; you could almost convince yourself it was normal. There was a constant nagging in the back of your mind, though. Who were those men? Why hadn’t he told you yet? Did he even know? It finally got to the point where you couldn’t wait any longer. The work day was almost over, so you pulled your phone out and typed out a text.

I need to talk to you. Meet me in my apartment after work.

After you hit send you walked over to the window overlooking George’s and watched as Tom checked his phone. He looked up toward the window, knowing exactly which one you would look down at him from. You saw him reply to your text, and looked at it just as the message reached your phone.

Can’t wait ;)

He was so needlessly flirtatious. You rolled your eyes and finished the rest of your shift before clocking out and walking home. A bell jingled as your cat ran to greet you as you opened the front door. “Hey cutie, I missed you.” After petting it a few times, you removed your shoes and started to walk to the bedroom, but there was a knock at the door. “Coming!” Expecting to see Tom, you didn’t bother looking through the peephole before unlocking the door and swinging it open. “It took you long en-” Your stomach dropped.

“Hey (y/n). Been a while, huh?” Standing in front of you was someone you hoped you would never see again. Someone who had no business being here. Possibly the only person in the world that scared you. Kurt, your ex.

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